Mercedes-Benz 2007 S 550 Automobile User Manual


 
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Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
1 Current program mode
̈ Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the
desired program mode appears in the
tachometer display.
Program mode C:
ț Engine, automatic transmission and
suspension tuning are comfortable.
ț The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range 1 is selected.
ț Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.
ț Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
Program mode S:
ț Engine, automatic transmission and
suspension tuning are more perfor-
mance oriented.
ț The vehicle starts out in first gear.
ț Upshifts occur later.
Steering wheel gearshift control
With drive position D selected, you can
limit or extend the gear range.
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located on the back of the steering wheel
to the left and right.
!
Never change the program mode when the
automatic transmission is out of park position P.
This could result in a change of driving character-
istics for which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program mode (C or S) is
switched on when the engine is restarted.
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R or park position P only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road surfac-
es. This may cause serious damage to the driv-
etrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.